


how can i be angry at you

by kivancalcite



Category: The Thing (1982)
Genre: Anger, Angst, Arguing, Body Horror, Canon Universe, Emotional Hurt, M/M, Relationship Issues, Rescue, Resentment, Self-Sacrifice, Tentacles, an attempted one, and an unsuccessful one, brief but there, they're tired of losing people, windows flinches away from mac
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:54:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28916430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kivancalcite/pseuds/kivancalcite
Summary: A short piece that involves the unusual sighting of Mac and Windows arguing after the former saves the latter when he tries to rescue someone who was pretty much doomed from an attack by an alien thing. Although not usually seen from them, it speaks volumes not only about how they really feel about each other, but the outpost crew around them besides.
Relationships: R. J. MacReady/Windows
Kudos: 3





	how can i be angry at you

“You said you wouldn’t hurt me!!”

“I was _trying_ to protect you!! You almost died!!”

“I was trying to save a friend!!”

“By the time you went to save him, that thing was already on him!! What did you _want_ me to do?? Let you die??”

“Yes!!”

This argument between Mac and Windows was surprisingly heated considering how they were usually around the others and how much softer they were around each other, and this sudden response from Windows with a total lack of hesitancy stopped even someone like Mac in his words. They’d had arguments before, but they were smaller and less volatile. Having an alien around infecting people, people they cared about, though, was causing even their arguments to become more like heated fights. Mac had been using his usual angry voice even with Windows, which only usually came out because of everyone else.

Mac’s face fell, but rushed to form an expression of indignation as even someone like Windows refused to budge or untwist his resentful expression. He was usually the one to buckle under pressure but Mac felt completely new in being the one to do so instead.

“How could you _possibly_ say that?” Mac’s voice was quieter now, but no less full of emotion. He wasn’t angry, though, as much as he was usually able to be.

Windows was certainly shaking a bit, but that didn’t stop him remotely. “I am _tired_ of losing people. You think I was about to watch _another_ person die in front of me?”

“At the risk of your own _life_??”

“Yes!! What part _aren’t_ you getting??”

“The part where I would have to watch you die trying to save someone who was about to die anyway!!”

Windows stopped, voice still seething and more looking like he was about to cry, unable to reply but looked down and turned away. Even Windows found it difficult to cry in front of him, however emotional he got.

“Windows…” Mac reached out, sighing, for his arm, forgetting that he may have accidentally bruised the man in the process of trying to drag him away from trying to save another as some abomination of this thing with tentacles and stick like legs managed to get the drop on one of them. He cared about all of the people here (however much they annoyed him), but it just had to be Windows that attempted some kind of sacrifice in this scenario. He’d be shocked enough as it is before he had to pull him back before anything could happen to him.

The other man immediately flinched and flashed a glare at him, pulling his arm away in both pain and anger before he looked away again. Those were his signature behaviours and though Mac was angry initially, he couldn’t be angry now, even when he was. Not now, not ever.


End file.
